Los Angeles voters will have some big decisions to make on Tuesday, when the electorate will decide on a new mayor, city attorney, city controller and eight city council seats.

Los Angeles could have as many as 12 new elected leaders, depending on how residents vote in the upcoming March 5 election. (photo by Aaron Blevins)

To win, candidates must accumulate 50 percent of the tallies, plus one vote. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff during the General Municipal Election on May 21. Officials will begin their terms on July 1.

In Council District 5, incumbent Paul Koretz is seeking re-election against challenger Mark Matthew Herd, a neighborhood council board member.

A total of 12 candidates are seeking to replace Garcetti in Council District 13 — commissioner/community organizer John Choi, small business owner Roberto Haraldson, neighborhood council board member Sam Kbushyan, assistant fire chief Emile Mack, senator’s district director Robert Negrete, charitable foundation director Alexander Ocampo, council member’s senior advisor Mitch O’Farrell, university professor Octavio Pescador, deputy attorney general Josh Post, small business owner Michael Schaefer, neighborhood council president José Sigala and deputy mayor Matt Szabo.

Other city council seats at stake at Council District 1, which has three candidates; Council District 3, six candidates; Council District 7, four candidates; Council District 9, seven candidates; Council District 11, four candidates; and Council District 15, two candidates.

Incumbent Steve Zimmer is being challenged by parent/child advocate Kate Anderson and write-in candidate Jeneen Robinson, an education advocate and minister, in the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education 4th District race. Two other seats — District 2 and District 6 — are also at stake.

In the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees races, voters who live in the area encompassing the district can vote on all of the races. Three seats are being challenged.

Los Angeles voters will also decide on Measure A, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase that would create funding to offset state cuts. According to the Los Angeles City Clerk’s Office, the measure would provide funding for 911 emergency response services, maintain firefighter, paramedic and police officer staffing levels; continue community policing, senior services and after-school gang and drug prevention programs; repair potholes and sidewalks; and fund other municipal services.

A charter amendment will also be on the ballot. Charter Amendment B would amend the city charter to authorize the city council to allow sworn police personnel who are transferred from the Department of General Services to the police department to purchase, at their own expense, retirement credit for prior sworn city service after they become members of the Fire and Police Pension Plan.

There will be no run-off in the West Hollywood election. The two candidates with the most votes will be the city’s next council members.

Voter will also decided whether to impose term limits on West Hollywood City Council members. Measure C, which would not be retroactive, would restrict council members to no more than three terms.

On Election Day, Los Angeles City Clerk June Lagmay will host public observation events, and the clerk will officially open the polls at 6:30 a.m. at the Central American Resource Center, 2845 W. 7th St.

For information, call (213)978-0444 or visit clerk.lacity.org/elections. For information regarding the West Hollywood election, call (323)848-6400 or visit www.weho.org/index.aspx?page=929.

One Response to “Who is next to govern Los Angeles?”

I was going to vote for James, but he hasn’t run a good campaign, spending all his money on consultants, and not sending out any mail. Jan Perry will not be a floor mat for the City Employee Unions like Garcetti/Greuel…Perry has stood-up to the DWP Union many times in the past and voted against rate increases. I think she’s represented her council district well compared to others. She is pro-developer, but each council member controls development in their district, not the Mayor. Perry has the support of 2 important fiscal conservatives: former Police Chief Bernard Parks and former Valley Council Member and Reserve Officer Greig Smith. The top 2 will go into “the finals”, the May runoff election. Even if James got into it, I don’t think he could win it. I’m worried that Perry, James, and Pleitez (who got into the race very late) will split their votes, which will lead to Garcetti and Greuel (who have both raised Millions of $$ from Special Interests) in the finals, which would be a disaster for the City of LA. Please join me in voting for Jan Perry for Mayor…if you don’t want to vote for her, then I recommend Kevin James.

Here’s the rest of my picks:

City Attorney: Trutanich (can’t stand Feuer and Smith wouldn’t be able to beat Feuer in the May runoff)

Controller: Brazeman

Council District 5: Herd

WeHo: NOT Prang, NOT Duran…vote for Steve Martin and somebody else.

BH: Mirisch…do not vote for the Dr that wants the Subway under BHHS.

CD13: Not Choi (he’s owned by the City Employee Unions), Not Szabo (he was at the top of the Villaraigosa Administration)…pick somebody else.

Measure A: NO on the Sales Tax Increase to fund Platinum Pensions.

School Board: Kate Anderson, an actual parent of 3rd grade twins and a smart former attorney, not Zimmer (who is supported by UTLA, the union, which does not care about our kids)